Let us talk about Phobias

A phobia is an anxiety disorder, defined by an irrational, unrealistic, persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation.

 Before we proceed, let me share a personal experience.

 Two weeks ago, after the completion of an event I attended, children and some adults stamped their feet on the balloons used for the decorations just to burst them.

 I covered my ears with my hands and ran as if someone was chasing me.

 I do not blow balloons for fear of them bursting, and I do not stay where people burst them because of the sound.

 Some people ran away too, but I saw just one adult who closed her ears and was stamping on the balloons.

 She said, “I will not run away today.”

 Phobias are indeed irrational fears because I see no reason why, at 53, I run away from the sound of bursting balloons, which ordinarily can never cause me any harm.

 On this note, let us delve more into the discussion.

 If you have a phobia, you may experience a deep sense of dread or panic when you encounter the source of your fear. You may also endure it with intense fear or anxiety.

 The fear can be of a certain place, situation or object. Unlike general anxiety disorders, a phobia is usually connected to something specific.

 The impact of a phobia can range from annoying to severely disabling. People with phobias often realise their fear is irrational, but they are unable to do anything about it. Such fears can interfere with work, school and personal relationships.

 Let us look at the causes:

 Genetic and environmental factors can cause phobias. Children who have a close relative with an anxiety disorder are at risk of developing a phobia.

 Distressing events, such as nearly drowning, can bring on a phobia.

 Exposure to confined spaces, extreme heights, and animal or insect bites can all be sources of phobias.

 People with ongoing medical conditions or health concerns often have phobias.

 There is a high incidence of people developing phobias after traumatic brain injuries.

 Substance abuse and depression are also connected to phobias.

 Agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder characterised by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no way to escape, is singled out as a particularly common fear with its own unique diagnosis.

 Many people with agoraphobia fear they may have a panic attack in a place where they can’t escape. Those with chronic health problems may fear they will have a medical emergency in a public area or where no help is available.

 Social phobias, which are fears related to social situations, are also singled out with a unique diagnosis.

 It can be so severe that the simplest interactions, such as ordering at a restaurant or answering the telephone, can cause panic. People with social phobia often go out of their way to avoid public situations.

 The most common and disabling symptom of a phobia is a panic attack, and features of a panic attack include:

 Pounding or racing heart

 Shortness of breath

 Rapid speech or inability to speak

 Dry mouth

 Upset stomach

 Nausea

 Elevated blood pressure

 Trembling or shaking

 Chest pain or tightness

 A choking sensation

 Dizziness or lightheadedness

 Profuse sweating

 A sense of impending doom

 Types of phobias

 According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), specific phobias typically fall within five general categories:

 Fears related to animals (spiders, dogs, insects)

Fears related to the natural environment (heights, thunder, darkness)

Fears related to blood, injury or medical issues (injections, broken bones, falls)

Fears related to specific situations (flying, riding an elevator, driving)

Other (fear of choking, loud noises, drowning)

These categories encompass an infinite number of specific objects and situations.

 The word itself comes from the Greek word “phobos,” which means “fear” or “horror.” So, clinicians and researchers create names for them as the need arises.

 This is typically done by combining a Greek (or sometimes Latin) prefix that describes the phobia with the phobia suffix.

 For example, a fear of water would be named by combining “hydro” (water) and “phobia” (fear).

 Because there are an infinite number of objects and situations, the list of specific phobias is quite long. Let us see some:

 Aquaphobia: Fear of water

 Acrophobia: Fear of heights

 Aviophobia: Fear of flying

 Bacteriophobia: Fear of bacteria

 Bathmophobia: Fear of stairs or steep slopes

 Catoptrophobia: Fear of mirrors

 Chrometophobia: Fear of spending money

 Dendrophobia: Fear of trees

 Dentophobia: Fear of dentists

 Elurophobia: Fear of cats

 Enochlophobia: Fear of crowds

 Here are ways to help you cope with your phobia:

1. Face your fears

 A good example is the woman who did not run from balloon sounds like I did.

 Avoiding fears only makes them worse. Gradually exposing yourself to the thing you are scared of can help you maintain control and overcome your fear.

2. Take time out

 It is difficult to think clearly when you feel scared or anxious. If you can, take time out to physically calm down.

3. Breathe through panic

 If you start to get a faster heartbeat or sweaty palms, try not to fight it. Stay where you are and let yourself feel the fear, even though it will be uncomfortable.

4. Breathe slowly and deeply

 The aim is to get your mind used to coping with panic, which takes away the fear of feeling panicky.

5. Challenge unhelpful thoughts

 It can sometimes help to challenge unhelpful thoughts.

 For example, if you are scared of getting trapped in a lift, you could ask yourself questions like:

 “Does the lift look broken?”

 “Is there any reason to think that if I did get stuck, help would take a long time to arrive?”

6. Visualise a happy place

 Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a place of safety and calm. It could be a picture of:

 you walking on a beautiful beach

 a happy memory from childhood

 Let the positive feelings soothe you until you feel more relaxed.

7. Take care of yourself

 Living a healthier lifestyle can be very helpful for your mental wellbeing. If you feel healthier, you may find that you feel less afraid and anxious.

8. Talk about it

 Sharing your fears can make them less scary. Try talking to someone about what you’re feeling. You could also call a helpline like:

9. Reward yourself

 Finally, give yourself a treat when you achieve something despite being afraid.

 Apart from the foregoing, phobias are typically treated with therapy, medication or a combination.

 A study titled Specific Phobias by William W. Eaton concludes that although specific phobias have a high prevalence, a low percentage of affected people seek treatment. Specific phobias begin early in life and persist over years or decades, and are associated with an increased risk of various other mental disorders.

 For a fear to be diagnosed as a clinical phobia, it must significantly interfere with or disrupt your daily life, routines, work or social relationships.

 This exactly is the reason why people should work on their phobias.

 Imagine having a well-paying job that requires you to fly like three times in a week, but you have aviophobia!